Alliance Blue
by Dixie990
Summary: Commander Shepard offers some insight into why she wears blue armour, even after the alliance left her for dead. Uncharacteristically (for me) fluffy One-shot that might at some point turn into a two or three shot...


**Alliance blue**

Commander Ophelia Shepard was unpredictable. It was what made her so damn dangerous. She landed in the middle of galactic chaos and you could never be sure if she was there to pull your arse outta the fire or if she would leave you with a bullet in the brain. It was something Garrus found both confusing and inspiring in the wild human female. Half the time he had to stop and remind himself that she 'was' human… she charged like a krogan right into the thick of whatever mess they were hip deep in, butting baddies with the end of her rifle or slamming her omni-blade between ribs like some kind of action heroine in the cartoons he'd watched as a kid.

She ran a tight ship, even her old alliance crew had tiptoed around her unpredictable behaviour and she had managed to surprise even him with her reactions. Scolding him like a child one moment, praising him and encouraging him the next.

Back on the first Normandy Garrus spent most of his time thoroughly confused. Confused because he would be furious with her for being so unpredictable, but longing for her approval all the same. If she, the first human spectre could approve of him, then it meant that his father was wrong. It meant he was meant to be more than a 'by the book' c-sec agent. It had taken all the months they'd chased Saren, but in the end, she did approve. "You done me proud Vakarian." She'd said, just a second before he was to disembark, not giving him even a moments chance to respond but just to stare after her as the airlock closed, stunned… but feeling confident about his decision to try again to become a spectre, to be her equal.

Hearing about the Normandy's destruction… broke something in him and Garrus really didn't want to stop and analyse why. Why did he quit spectre training to go to Omega? Why did he throw himself in the line of fire? Why did he become as wild and as unpredictable as she had been. He didn't stop long enough to really think about it but in those two years before she reappeared he stopped worshipping Shepard and instead came to understand her; decoding the reasons behind her odd behaviour as he himself emulated it, however unconsciously. She had been born and raised in a shithole like Omega. It was easy to find her reasoning there.

Then in true Shepard fashion she dropped herself in the middle of his chaos, flanked by lackeys in Cerberus uniforms but wearing custom armour in alliance blue with the N7 logo herself. Death it seemed only served to heighten her extremes, which in turn made her all the more frightening… and intriguing… exotic… maybe even beautiful? Definitely beautiful.

Garrus shook his head to clear it of these distracting thoughts and picked up his pistol, checking it over before holstering it carefully. Tali was beside him looking over the new mods on her shotgun while Shepard made some last minute adjustments at the table over from them.

Jacob approached her workbench. "Can I ask you something commander?"

Garrus and Tali both paused in their routine to glance at each other, then to Shepard. Shepard never made any secret about who she did and didn't like. The whole ship knew she disliked Miranda and Jacob both with more or less equal intensity. She liked being asked questions even less.

Luckily for Jacob, Shepard was so engrossed in her work she hardly seemed to hear him. She made a non-committal grunt noise that Jacob took as permission to ask.

"You haven't exactly kept your anger with the council and the alliance secret… I can't blame you… but why do you keep your armour in alliance blue if they betrayed you?"

Shepard's hands stilled on her work. Garrus could almost hear the fire of fury crackling beneath her skin. He glanced to Tali again and saw that she was staring at Jacob with as much shock as she could display beneath her mask. Asking questions was bad enough. Asking personal questions was even worse. Even Garrus and Tali were careful about it and they'd been with Shepard from the start.

Shepard was still for a long moment, then, she carried on modifying her assault rifle, working carefully and quickly, ignoring Jacob completely. The operative seemed to take the message and moved back to his console, busying himself with his work and trying not to look foolish.

Shepard finished her work, checked, double checked, then handed the gun to Garrus to triple check… as she always did.

As always her work was impeccable and Garrus handed the rifle back with a nod. Shepard looked it over a moment then holstered it, glancing at the back of Jacob's head. "Who said anything about 'alliance blue'?" She said darkly, surprising all with her belated answer. "I wouldn't wear alliance blue's anymore than I would wear Cerberus yellows."

Jacob frowned "But commander…"

Shepards eyes flashed dangerously, silencing him. "I wear the colours of someone who has had my six from the day I met him… no questions asked." She shook her head and headed towards the armoury door. "'Alliance blue'" She scoffed as she walked. "Please… I wear 'Vakarian blue'."

Her words hit him like a cold slap to the face. Vakarian blue!? Spirits he was such a fool!

"Keep up Garrus or I'll go without you!" Shepard snapped from the doorway.

Garrus trotted up to walk behind her, as always. Go without him? Over his head body.


End file.
